Improvement in seats and couches for railway-cars



T. E. MCNEILL. Car Seat and Couch.

m0, 24,225. Patented May 31,1859

l i l Witnesses:

AM. PEOO-LI'I'HO. CO. N Y. (OSSORFES PROCESS.)

Urirrao vrpraras PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS E. MGNEILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEATS ANDy coUcHEs FOR RAILWAY-CARS.`

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 24.225, dated May 31, 1859.

^ To all whom imag concern.'

Beit known that I, THOS. E. MCNEILL, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new aud useful Improvements in Seats and Couches for Sleeping-Gars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact deframe of each seat with a slot at the top,

and in attaching to the side of the cara plate with a slot corresponding to that in the end frame, so that the slots may receive pins or bolts projecting from the opposite ends of the back ofthe seat and allowvthe latter to be reversed at pleasure, as well as to be readily removed, so as to form part of a couch for night use, and this without disturbing the end frame;

second, in certain arms hinged to the inside ofthe end frames, so as to be depressed under the seat during the day and raised during the night, so as to serve as supporters for the ceutral couches; third, in certain frames hinged to the side of the car, so as to be out of the way during the day and so as to support couches during the night; fourth, in a peculiar manner ot' hanging a supplementary couch to the root', so that it may be readily elevated and lowered. In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner in which I carry it into effect.

On reference to the accompanyin gdrawin gs, which form a part of this specification, Figure l is a longitudinal section of sufficient of a railway-car to illustrate my improved seats and couches, which are shown as arranged for day use; Fig. 2, the same as Fig..l with the seats converted into cou'ches for night use 5 Fig. 3, the same as Fig. 2 on the line3 4; Fig. 5, a plan view of Fig. l, and Fig. 6 a plan view of Fig. 2.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a portion ot' the floor, B the roof, and C one side, of a railway-ear.

, D D are the seats, secured permanently to the ioor of the car and situated the usual distance apart. When arranged for day use the cushioned board E, which forms the base of the seat, rests at one end on a ledge projectingfrom the inside of the frame D, and at the opposite end ou aledge secured to the side of the car.

The top of each frame has an oblong slot, a, and to the side of the car yis secured a plate y with an oblong slotcorrespondingand,directly opposite to the slot in the frame.

The cushioned board F, which forms the inclined back of the seat, has'oneach end a pin f or bolt, that of one end being adapted to the slot in the plate, which, as before remarked, is secured to the side of the car, and that on the opposite or outer eudof the back being adapted to the slot in the top of the frame D. The slots both in the plate and the frame have recesses in each end in which the pin or bolt' may rest steadily until the 4back is purposely moved from one side of the seat to the other. To whichever side 0f the seat the back may be moved it will be eft'ectually supported in its inclined position bythe pins resting in the recesses ot' the slots in the plate and frame, and by the lower edge of the back resting on the cushioned boards E of the'seat.

Theahove arrangement affords an opportuy nity for the disposalot' the two rows ot' seats in the lcar in a manner precisely similar to that 'of ordinary cars, the seats as regards the reversing of the backs being equally as convenient as common seats, while they admitof being readily converted into reclining-couches in the following manner:

It will be observed that on the inside of each frame D is hinged an arm, which, during the day, is bent down so as to be under the base F of the seat, and therefore out ot' the way.

When the seats have to be converted into couches the armscl are raised, as best observed in Figs. 3 and 4. The bases F of two adjacent seats are removed from their ledges and placed end to end in the spacebetween the two rows of seats, as seen in Fig. 6, the boards resting on the tops of the upturucd-arms d, which are furnished with projections tting intostaples on the boards, which are thus retained firmly in a proper position, and form a steady couch lows: The two backs are placed endto end and situated on one side ot' the car, and the two bases placed end to end and situated on l the opposite side of the ear, so as to form a couch on each side. One ot' these couches is represented at M, Fig. 4, andrestsin the middie on a strip, c, secured to the iioor, and at tne opposite ends on ledges on the frames N, which are hinged tothe side ofthe car, so as to be folded back duringv the day and moved out-' at night. These frames carry another couch, I), which is situated immediately above the couch M, and above the couch P a third conch is suspended to hangers m, secured to the roof of the car.

The two couches I and Q consist ot1 `cushioned boards,\\'hieh, during the day, may be hoisted upto the root'aud there retained by turn-buckles or other suitableA devices.' Another cushioned board, R, forms another couch, and is hung to thereof, ot' the car in a peculiar manner y immediately above the `space which i'orms the passage between the two rows of` seats as arranged for day use.

. The hangers n, which support the couch R, are hinged to the roof, instead ot' being stationary, and are eontined to the boards by alongitndinal barumwhich servesto keep the board in its proper position when down, audwhen the latter is raised the bar serves as a guide, carrying the hangers up to the roof of the car, asseen in Fig. 1, where the whole is conned by any suitable devices.

ltshould be understood that the bars or bolts in each end ot the backs Fof the seat are so connected tothe latter thatthey may bepressed into a recess so as to yield and allow twoof the backs to be brought close togetherjwhen placed end to end.l The bolts, however, are projected outward by means of springs when the backs are removed from the position they occupy as couches. f

It will now be seen, without further description, that by the above-described arrangement of seats and couches the usual aceommoda` tions are afforded for passengers during the` day, and more than the requisite number ot' couches during the night, the arrangement at the same time admitting of the usual central passage through the car during the day and i are adapted to and arranged inrespeet to each other substantially as set forth.

2. The arms d, so hinged to the inside of the end frame as to vbe folded down under the seat duringthe day and elevated so as to form su pports for the couches during t-he night, in the` mannerspecified.`

y 3. The vertical frames N, hinged to the side i of the car and', furnished with ledgesto snp' `port two couches.`

4. The board It, its rods p,aud the hangers a, when arranged asaud for in set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my nalne to this specification iu the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses. j 4 THOS. E. MGNEILL.

Witnesses:

HENRYHOWSON,` y CHARLES D. FREEMAN.

the purpose here- 

